Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, has declared that a presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, is more competent than the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Lawal said Atiku’s experience can’t be compared to Hayatu-Deen’s wealth of experience.

Featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Lawal said Atiku and Hayatu-Deen are not on the same level.

Asked if Hayatu-Deen is more competent than Atiku, Lawal said: “Hayatu-Deen is more competent than Atiku. They can’t even be in the same boat.

“They are not on the same boat and not possibly talking of the same sea. For years, he was Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG.”

Atiku and Hayatu-Deen participated in the recent ADC’s presidential primary election aimed at deciding the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 election.

While Atiku emerged the winner after polling the highest number of votes, Hayatu-Deen came third behind former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who came second.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, says he has evidence that the African Democratic Congress, ADC, primary election was rigged.

Featuring in an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television on Monday, Lawal said he was in the field and monitored the exercise.

He said whatever the supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said was not true, adding that a thief would not accept he is a thief.

“Don’t forget I was the National Vice Chairman (Northeast). I was in the field during the exercise, so I have evidence.

“Atiku’s people are the ones lying by trying to deny what they did. We are all human beings. We know what they did.

“I knew the primary was rigged at the point it was being done and the results being declared,” he said.

Reports have emerged suggesting that former Adamawa State Governor, Bindow Jibrilla, may be considering a return to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

The claim was made by political commentator Imran Wakili in a post on X on Monday.

According to Wakili, indications from political circles in Adamawa State suggest that Bindow could leave the ADC within days amid growing dissatisfaction with recent developments within the party in the state.

Wakili further alleged that the former governor feels his years of loyalty to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar were taken for granted

He wrote: “Whispers making rounds in Adamawa suggests that former Governor Bindow Jibrilla may be on his way out of the ADC and back to the APC within days.

“According to what I gathered, the former governor feels deeply disappointed by recent events within the Adamawa ADC and believes his years of steadfast loyalty to Atiku Abubakar and the political structure have not been adequately appreciated and have been taken for granted.”

DAILY POST reports that neither Bindow nor the ADC had officially commented on the claim as of the time of filing this report.

Bindow, a former APC governor of Adamawa State, has remained an influential figure in the state’s political landscape, with his next political move likely to attract attention ahead of the 2027 general elections.